EA CEO John Riccitiello says expectations for in-game ads are “wildly high.” Analysts have been estimating between $971 million to $1 billion in revenues by 2010.
“You can’t be as bullish as analysts are on in-game advertising and be sane,” he said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires. “In-game ad expectations are wildly high.”
Riccitiello says in-game advertising will eventually emerge as a key source of revenue for video-game publishers, but it will probably take much longer than many in the industry anticipate.
Currently, in-game ads earn EA $30 million a year. EA’s yearly sales are $3.1 billion.
Bernie Stolar, head of Google’s AdSense for Games unit, is responsible for the $1 billion figure.
Recently Microsoft purchased in-game ad agency Massive (located next door to GGL Santa Monica), and NBC Universal invested in rival IGA Worldwide.
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